Piano



C. N. MANGOLD.

PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30| 192|.

1,417,191', muted May 23,1922..A

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UNITED STATES i CHARLES N. MANGOL, OF IITSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

rIANo.

- i i yApplication filed June 30,

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Beit known that I, CHARLES N. MANGOLD,

- a citizen of the United States, and a resi dent of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Pianos, of which the following is a specilication.

The invention relates to transpositional pianos wherein the keyboard is capable of movements relative to the action of the lpiano both for the purpose of playing apiece yin the key in which itis written and have it transposed to a different key, and for the purpose of raising or lowering the pitch of the piano without thefnecessity `of tuning it.

lVhile the invention is applicable to newly j constructed pianos, it is particularly adaptable to the reconstruction of old pianos, and the object thereof is to provide a simple and effective way of building or reconstructing a piano to the end that the keyboard may be readily shifted for the purposes stated.

- Ordinarily, pianos are tuned for what is known as standard pitch. Occasionally, it is desired to have a piano in. a home tuned up tov concert pitch `for a special occasion. This is difficult to d o at any time, and isk practically incapable of accomplishment if the piano is old because of the serious yliability of breaking a large number of strings. Accor-din to this invention, the pitch of the piano may be easily changed at will. l

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying sheets of drawings of which Fig. 1 is a combined plan and sectional view of a piano, the` view being taken just above the keyboard I-I of Fig. 2,; and Figs. 2, 3, 4.-, and 5, are sectional views taken, respectively, on the lines II-II, III- IIL IV-IV and V-V, Fig. 1.

In the practice of the invention, the keyboard and action may be of standard or any desired form of construction. except that the keyboard is mounted for lateral movements. In the illustrative embodiment of the invention, the keyboard yframe comprises longitudinal members 1 and 2, end crossmembers i3, intermediate cross-mem bers` 1, and an intermediate longitudinal member 5 provided on its upper face with the usual pins 6 on which the keys 7 are pivoted. A portion of the intermediate bar 5 projects downwardly through a slot 26 1n a board 27 upon which the keyboard frame Specification ofLettez-s Patent.

on the plane indicated. by the line.

Patented May 23, 1922.

1921.,- serial No. 481,447.

sli dably mounted. To hold the keyboard in any one of its several positions, bar 5 may be. providedwith suitable openings through which a pin 8 may extend into openings proe vided in a board 9 extending downwardly from the supporting board 27. By rcmov-X ing pin 8, the keyboard may be shifted froml one to another of its positions and the pin thereafter inserted to hold the keyboard in place. To prevent vibration of the movable keyboard frame, suitable spring clips 10 may be mounted upon board 27 and con-` structed to ext-end over the tops of crossmemloers 3 and 4C, the upper faces of which may loe provided with padding such as strips of felt 11. i i v rFhe action of the piano is shown asbeing of standard upright piano construction supported by an. upright frame 12. J ust below the offsets 13 of theaction rods ltthere is arranged a horizontal bar 15 which holds tact with the striking pins 16 mounted on 'the rear ends of the keys. This fixed sup-r porting bar `15 holds the action rods against falling or moving downwardly when the keyboard is shifted laterally, and it in no way interferes with the proper functioning of the vaction at all times. Preferably, the upper face of supporting bar '1.5 is provided with a pad such as a strip of felt 17.

As usually constructed, the upright action supporting frames 12 of a piano are supported intermediate theirends by brackets `so located that adjacent keys diverge from each other to clear the brackets. In Fig. 1 keys 7 and 7 show the manner in which keys soy diverge. In the practice of this invention, the intermediate brackets found in standard constructions for supporting action frame 1, are removed and replaced by brackets 1S secured to a member 19 of the piano casing, and extend upwardly back of the keyboard in the manner `illustrated particularlyin Fig. 5. j

So that there will not be a silent key at cach point of diverging pairs of keys kwhen the keyboard is shifted to one side or the other of its standard pitch position, the diverging pairs of keys are provided with lateral extending blocks having action-strik ing pins. As seen in Fig.v 1., key 7 has attached to its side a block 20 provided with a striking pin 21, and key 7D has attached to its side a block 22 provided `with a striking pin 23. The arrangement of these blocks und the pine isi-Such thai.. 'for efx'zimplc7 when he keyboard in nn'wed lo the righi, oii ii'S nomini! .sindzid pitch posiiioii. he ziciioi'i iod jhzi; wie nvm/'lonely Siruela by the pin on leeg.' Y if; sii'iiil; ny pin 2l o block Q0 :1tnehcil to key i". :ind lfhea: when the l:e bomd if; moved in `the loft. he noli-ion rod, iilmiY was fiiiiclq' by i'hc pin on key T iS sliicl( by pin L?) of block otf'icheifl to lacy Y. Thus.. in :ill }j)oeil1io'n1-i oi the keyboeid, all hey. :we liii'nigght: 'into :sc-tion.

y'lhe i'emin-'sii'iie o? :.n iipzfiggghl: pieno :u' mf `l.in;g lo ihn; invention. may be iy'lieeied Wi 3h :i lninii'mun innouni of labor Wiihoii' in :fii'iy my pie);ndicnlly zileiztlng; 'jhe pleno. To reconstruct the pieno. .it .is only?.v nece.;-

j to modify the conetrilc on of vthe keyboard frame so that .it be moved late?- zilly in the manner ezipleined.l 'replace the ordinzny ntermedae actie` supporsing the brackets by 'the rear biiaclee 13. andv pisovide `he action snlngoning 'freine Wih f1. li; Y bei' 'l5 to hold the :if-.tion fodf. :minime o1' moving downwardly 'wl'xcn i'he keyboard is; shi'led. hllzniiiesly .new` pizmorfi may be readily built to include 'lle seme feelin-e of cone'uucton. According to the provisions of the patent Statutes. l' have senin-id the principle and opel-alien o" im'entioli. together with elle cone;L L which C now consider to represent J@he beni; embod'imen.1` theeolli, Howevel, desiafe lio huw. i; ul'leez'stood that, within he eeope olf the :n.gipended, elaimfi, the invention 'indy he pinelieefl. by other ioi'me ffii consiisie-ioii (hun limi. epeeihenlly eh Wn and deiicril'wl.

I claim:

:ieiion rods; provided with horizontal effects,

und n Hxcfl bei.' forming n. voriinl support'. ille notion rods el'. :mid oliiseis :ind thereu hy hol dil'ig the :minion yoda: upn'nidly in pmifione g'iciniitingf lifec leteizil movemenl, oi' She keybozud.

l. ln :i tial'ispoeing upright piano, .1 Intex'v ally movable leyboeld provided with lieve; the rem" ende of some of which diverge from each ciber. a. fixed action including upright action rods. e. Emme supporting said rods. upwardly extending brackets beck of ihe keyboard7 tlle nem. ende of adjacent paies of divergin keys being' provided With laterally ecfiend`ingv blocks having' fichier1-Striking pine arranged. to biking ell keys into fiction in ull pisitione of Athe keyboard.

.ln n. cl'zinsposing pieno, e.. laterally mov able keyboan'i: inclndingF a 'himno having longitudinal and irzneverse members yielding miens for holdingv SuidV ifi'zune down, :i fixed action including upright action rods., and n lifted bei forming; u. vertical Support jloi euch of th-V ...dion rods and thereby holding thein nym'eiilly 'in positions peiiniiiting free .leiiei'zil movement of 'he keyboard.

ln .eeinony whereof. l' Sign my nume.

@HA HREF; N. MANGOLD.

lVi new 1 EDWIN U. JOHNS. 

